Pinzolo - Campiglio Dolomiti: Ski area guide

The southern hub of Skirama Dolomiti

Many people know Pinzolo by name, but few think of it as a main destination. Yet here, low down in Val Rendena, is one of the most convenient ways into one of the most powerful ski passes in Trentino: Skirama Dolomiti, the circuit that links Pinzolo with Madonna di Campiglio, Folgarida and Marilleva, with more than 150 km of runs in total.

Starting from a village at 800 metres, rather than a high-altitude resort, means cheaper accommodation on average, a more down-to-earth feel and a slower pace than in nearby Campiglio.

That combination, easy access to a top-level ski area plus the practical and financial advantages of a valley base, is exactly why Pinzolo appeals to skiers who look hard at value for money on a winter holiday.

Skirama Dolomiti: the link that makes the difference

With the shared ski pass you can ride the lifts from Pinzolo to Madonna di Campiglio, ski the whole Campiglio area (Tre Valli, Grostè, Cinque Laghi) and get back to Pinzolo in the afternoon. Lifts climbing from Val Rendena up to Campiglio make the physical link between the two, although the full trip needs careful timing.

Folgarida and Marilleva, the two Val di Sole ski areas in the circuit, add even more variety if you are willing to take the shuttle bus or the car on busy mornings. In practice, a week in Pinzolo gives you enough terrain for skiers of every level and ambition.

Pinzolo’s own slopes

Pinzolo’s own sector, called Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, spreads across Monte Vigo and Doss del Sabion, the two main peaks above the village.

The altitude, between 800 and 2,100 metres, is lower than in Campiglio, and in poor snow years the lower sections can suffer more than the high ones. Snowmaking systematically covers the critical sections, especially the links to the valley, so you can ski all the way down even during bad-weather spells or weeks that are not cold enough.

The local runs have enough variety for a week of mixed skiing: plenty of reds, some blues for beginners and a few blacks for those who want steep gradients on the upper part of Monte Vigo.

Val Rendena and its wildlife

Pinzolo lies in Val Rendena, one of the least crowded valleys in Trentino, even though it sits between two major nature parks.

To the east is the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, the largest in Trentino. It is home to a group of European brown bears, the largest population in the Alps, which spend the winter hibernating in the conifer forests at mid-altitude. Golden eagles regularly fly over Pinzolo’s slopes, and early in the morning you may spot roe deer and red deer in the snowy woods along the runs.

To the west, the Adamello Nature Park completes the wilderness around Val Rendena. The contrast between these wild spaces and the elegant glamour of Madonna di Campiglio, only 15 km up the road, is one of the most fascinating things about this corner of western Trentino.

The Brenta Dolomites: the view from the slopes

From the upper part of the Pinzolo ski area, and even better from the Campiglio slopes you can reach on the same ski pass, the Brenta Dolomites rise in all their verticality.

The Brenta group is the only Dolomite massif west of the Adige, separated geologically and geographically from the rest of the Dolomites, with a shape and rock that even a casual eye can recognise. Cima Tosa (3,173 m) and Cima Brenta (3,150 m) are the highest peaks in a group of dozens of towers, spires and ridges that every climber knows.

Getting there

• From Trento: the SS239 reaches Pinzolo in about an hour, via Sarche and Tione di Trento.
• From Milan: the A4 and A22 motorways to the Trento Nord exit, then the SS239, about three hours.
• From Brescia: down the western shore of Lake Garda, then up the Val Sabbia towards Trentino, about two and a half hours in total.

Shuttle buses run regularly from the centre of Pinzolo to Madonna di Campiglio throughout the ski season, often enough that you can ski the main area without using the car every day.